Man has existed for more than 3 million years, but has learnt to drink milk only since 12 000 years. The domestication of mammals has enabled man to take advantage of milk produced by all sorts of animals: cows, buffalo, she-assess, goats.
Furthermore, milk has become a central food in human nutrition. Today, worldwide milk production is close to 650 000 million tons. Cow's milk represents 85% of said production. This worldwide production is growing constantly as the years go by, having increased by more than 20% in ten years. Milk is a food which contains a not insignificant protein source of high biological quality. Proteins represent, after carbohydrates and lipids, the third major energy source in our diet. They are essential to our survival and are provided both by products of animal origin (meats, fish, eggs, dairy products) and by plant foods (cereals, legumes, etc.). For a long time, animal proteins have proved to be tremendously successful in terms of their excellent nutritional qualities since they contain all the essential amino acids in adequate proportions. On the other hand, none of the various sources of vegetable proteins can, by themselves, cover all the amino acid needs: one or more essential amino acids are often lacking.
In parallel, certain animal proteins can be allergenic, leading to reactions which are very bothersome, or even dangerous, in everyday life.
Food allergies are constantly on the increase. They have gone from 1% in 1970 to 6 to 8% of the population today. Allergies of this type more readily involve young children, with 7 to 8% thus being involved, whereas the percentage of adults ranges from 3 to 4%. In addition, the number of cases of severe allergies is also tending to increase. Thus, the increasing number of cases of anaphylactic shock directly related to the consumption of allergenic food products has risen by 700% in 17 years!
Dairy product allergy is one of the most widespread allergic reactions. Studies demonstrate that 65% of individuals who suffer from food allergies are allergic to milk. The adult form of milk allergy, herein referred to as “dairy products allergy”, is a reaction of the immune system which creates antibodies in order to combat the unwanted food. This allergy is different than Cow's Milk Protein (bovine protein) Allergy (CMPA), which affects newborns and infants. The clinical manifestations of this allergy are mainly gastrointestinal (50 to 80% of cases), and also cutaneous (10 to 39% of cases) and respiratory (19% of cases). This allergy is the first food allergy to appear in children, and most commonly begins in infants less than a year old. CMPA causes varied symptoms, such as urticaria, eczema, angio-edema possibly affecting the face, the lips, the tongue, the soft palate, the larynx and the vocal chords in serious cases, constipation, diarrhea, flatulence, nausea, migraines, infections, abdominal cramps, nasal congestion and even serious asthma attacks. CMPA can also manifest itself through anaphylactic shock and also through a syndrome termed “near-miss sudden death”, and observations of newborn sudden death related to cow's milk anaphylaxis have even been reported.
Allergic individuals should completely eliminate milk, dairy products and derivatives thereof from their diet. Moreover, milk from other animal species is contraindicated in cases of CMPA. The following terms are indicators of the presence of cow's milk or derivatives thereof in the ingredients of a product: buttermilk, calcium caseinate, sodium caseinate, casein, caseinate, hydrolyzed casein, dried milk solids, lactalbumin, lactose, lactoglobulin, low-fat milk, milk powder, condensed milk and whey.
In view of all the disadvantages mentioned above, associated with the consumption of milk proteins, there is, as a result, great interest in the use of substitute proteins, also called alternative proteins, classified among which are vegetable proteins.
Such is the case, for example, of the emergence of many vegetable milks that can be introduced into infant nutrition from the age of 5 months.
In legal terms, only one clear definition, dating from 1909, exists defining milk of animal origin: “milk is the integral product of the complete and uninterrupted milking of a healthy well-nourished milking female which is not overworked. It should be collected cleanly and not contain colostrum. The word milk without any specification is cow's milk. Any other milk should be denoted by the name “milk” preceded by the indication of the animal species: “goat's milk”, “ewe's milk”, “mare's milk”.
Vegetable milks, produced from vegetable ingredients, can be an alternative to milks of animal origin. They overcome and avoid CMPA. They are free of casein, of lactose and of cholesterol, are rich in vitamins and in mineral salts, and also rich in essential fatty acids but low in saturated fatty acids. Some also have advantageous fiber levels.
Generally, vegetable milks are quite low in calcium. Calcium is a trace element, the main function of which is the mineralization of bone in the form of calcium phosphate salts. In adults, the renewal of calcium in the bone mobilizes approximately 700 mg of calcium per day. Calcium is also involved in blood coagulation, in muscle contraction and in many enzyme reactions at the cellular level. Calcium is essential at any age because it makes our bones solid, but certain periods in life require particular vigilance. Babies thus particularly need calcium. At birth, a baby will need approximately 300 mg of calcium per day.
In addition to the fact that some vegetable milks are low in calcium, and that others, owing to their botanical rarity, are commercially unavailable, it should also be mentioned that some vegetable milks are also allergenic. This is the case, for example, of vegetable milks prepared from oleaginous plants, for instance soya milks.
Soya can cause serious, or even lethal reactions in sensitive individuals. Today, soya is acknowledged to be one of the “eight major allergens” causing immediate hypersensitivity reactions resulting in coughing, sneezing, nasal hydrorrhea, urticaria, diarrhea, facial edema, shortness of breath, swelling of the tongue, swallowing problems, a drop in arterial pressure, excessive perspiration, fainting, anaphylactic shock or even death in the most severe cases. Soya is thought to contain between 25 and 30 allergenic components. In addition, soya contains isoflavones (genistein, daidzein, glycetein), phytoestrogens that are completely advised against in children less than three years old. This is because the Agence Française de Sécurité Sanitaire des Aliments (AFSSA) [French Food Safety Agency] strongly suspects these compounds of disrupting sexual development in children, owing to their structure that is very close to animal female hormones.
Thus, soya-based formula is far from being the best solution for bottle-fed babies who are allergic to the conventional milky preparations. The phytoestrogens contained in soya can interfere with correct development of the thyroid, the brain and the reproductive system of the baby. Soya formula also does not constitute the ideal solution to cow's milk allergy.
An unpublished study carried out by Dr Stefano Guandalini of the Department of Pediatrics of the University of Chicago has shown “that a significant number of children exhibiting intolerance to cow's milk proteins develop intolerance to soya proteins when soya milk is introduced into their diet”. So many babies allergic to cow's milk are also allergic to soya milk that researchers have begun to advise pediatricians to stop recommending soya milk and to instead prescribe nonallergenic vegetable preparations such as rice milk, for example.
Soya also appears to have a negative influence on celiac disease. This disease is a serious malabsorption syndrome, most commonly associated with gluten (protein fraction present in wheat and some other cereals) and with intolerance to milk. However, few individuals are aware that soya may also be implicated. Some adults with celiac disease suffer from diarrhea, headaches, nausea and flatulence even when they eliminate gluten from their diet and consume tiny amounts of soya. An unpublished study carried out on 98 children and babies with multiple gastrointestinal allergies revealed that 62% were allergic both to soya and to milk and that 35% were allergic both to soya and to gluten.
Finally, if soya allergies are on the increase, it is perhaps also the fault of genetically modified soya seeds. In the United Kingdom, York Nutritional Laboratories, one of the leading European laboratories specializing in food sensitivity, observed a 50%; increase in soya allergies in 1998, the year in which genetically modified soya appeared on the world market. These researchers observed that one of the 16 most allergenic soya proteins was present at concentrations of 30% or more in the genetically modified soya. Individuals who are allergic to genetically modified soya are perhaps not even allergic to ordinary soya. It is not out of the question that the guilty parties are allergenic exogenous proteins introduced during mutations.
In view of all the disadvantages of milk proteins, but also of the dangerous allergenic nature conferred by certain vegetable proteins, there is a real demand, on the part of consumers, which has not been met to date, for vegetable milks which are unquestionably and acknowledged to be innocuous and which can, as a result, be consumed by the entire family. Conventional manufacturers are also beginning to seek new sources of proteins in order to enrich their products.
Document WO 96/04800 describes a process for preparing almond milk and the products obtained. However, even though these products are intended for replacing cow's milk, they nonetheless have a very strong allergenic potential. This is because almonds are among the oleaginous fruits (like soya) and are known for their very high allergenicity, which in some individuals can manifest itself through a violent anaphylactic shock that can lead to death. Consequently, the products described in that document do not solve the problem of the present invention.
Document EP 1859 692 A1 describes a vegetable drink composition containing water and at least one fiber. The objective sought is not the replacement of animal milk, and said compositions of this document do not contain proteins.
Document EP 1696749 B1 describes a process for making a powdered preparation for obtaining a neutral or slightly acidic beverage, the pH of which can range from 5.5 to 8, following mixing of the powdered preparation with a liquid. Said compositions comprise a source of proteins and a quite specific stabilizer. The objective of this document is absolutely not to find a way to formulate a vegetable milk capable of replacing cow's milk.
The applicant company also focused in on this research in order to be able to meet the increasing demands from manufacturers and consumers for compounds having advantageous nutritional properties without however, having the drawbacks of certain already-existing compounds. The studies by the applicant have related to the formulation of novel vegetable milks which are unquestionably and acknowledged to be innocuous, and which can, as a result, be consumed by the entire family.
Thus, the applicant has carried out considerable research studies on Vegetable Protein Materials (VPM) as food ingredients, and more especially on pea proteins. This particular interest in pea proteins is first of all due to their numerous functional properties, but also to advantageous nutritional qualities by virtue of their “essential” amino acid composition.
More particularly, the studies by the applicant have related to the formulation of a novel drink composition containing, inter alia, pea proteins and capable, once suspended in water, of replacing cow's milk.